Trolley apparatus for preventing or arresting the fall of an individual

ABSTRACT

Trolley apparatus for preventing or arresting the fall of an individual is horizontally movable along a track which is mounted to one side of a pathway. A handle extends over the pathway to which handle the individual ties his safety line, and by which he grasps the apparatus and propels it along the pathway.

United States Patent 1191 [111 3,814,022 Smith 1 June 4, 1974 [54] TROLLEY APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING 3,327,644 6/1967 Black 104/95 OR ARRESTING THE FALL OF AN 3,358,611 12/1967 Westfall et a.l........ 104/120 INDIVIDUAL 3,568,605 3/1971 Pettit 104/95 3,580,183 5/1971 Nearman 104/94 1 Assigneel United States Steel Corporation, 1,292,819 3/1962 France 104/89 Plttsburgh, Pa. 6,503,340 3/1965 Netherlands 104/93 Filed y 12 1972 20,327 9/1912 Great Britain 104/89 121 App]. N0.: 252,762 Primary Examiner-Lloyd L. King Assistant Examiner-Robert Saifer 52 us. (:1 104/89, 104/118 105/148 Firm-Ralph Dougherty 511 1m. 01 B6lb 5/02 [58] Field 61 Search 104/8993, 94, 95, 118, [571 ABsTRAicT 104/120, 121; 105/150, 141, 145, 146, 147, 148 Trolley apparatus for preventing or arresting the fall of an individual is horizontally movable along a track 5 R f r Cited which is mounted to one side of a pathway. A handle UNITED STATES PATENTS extends over the pathway to which handle the individmg 608 4/1906 B 04/120 ual ties his safety line, and by which he grasps the aprower 3,068,808 12/1962 Parker et 81.. 104/94 pdratus and propafls along the pathway 3,198,140 8/1965 Chadenson 104/94 3 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures Illa l TROLLEY APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING OR ARRESTING THE FALL OF AN INDIVIDUAL The invention relates to a horizontally movable trolley apparatus to which a man ties his safety line, then grasps and propels as he moves along a pathway having a high degree of danger of slipping and falling. This apparatus is especially useful on an open hearth pouring platform for the inspection of ingot molds prior to pouring the ingots. It is also useful when a man is working on top of a mold performing such tasks as removing scrap therefrom or placing inserts into the molds. Heretofore, such work has been performed without any safety apparatus. Such work is extremely dangerous as the possibility of slipping from the top of the mold, falling and striking either the mold, ingot car, ground, or railroad tracks is extremely high.

My invented trolley apparatus rides on tracks mounted on the sides of building support columns in structures such as open hearth buildings where it is impracticable to have an overhead trolley system. The trolley has a rotatable vertical mast with a handle extending generally perpendicular therefrom. By tieing his safety line to the handle and grasping it as he moves along the tops of ingot molds, an individual attains a relatively high degree of safety in what had been an extremely dangerous job.

It is the primary object of this invention to provide an apparatus which is movable with an individual along a track as he performs various tasks relating to ingot molds, provides a hand hold for him, and provides a place to attach his safety line.

It is also an object to provide apparatus which will prevent an individual who has fallen from swinging against the base of the structure to which his safety line is tied.

It is also an object to provide apparatus which can be installed in an area where other limitations such as the presence of an overhead traveling crane prevent the attachment of a safety line to a trolley directly overhead.

It is another object to provide a trolley apparatus which is easily movable and will not bind or jam under eccentric loading.

These and other objects will be better understood by reference .to the following detailed specification and to the appended drawings in which:

FIG. I is an elevational view of the invented apparatus mounted on vertical columns of an open hearth building adjacent an open hearth pouring platform showing only a portion of the columns.

FIG. 2 is an end view of FIG. 1 showing the position of an ingot mold with relation to the pouring platform and the position of an overhead electrical traveling crane as it passes over the ingot molds.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged end view of the trolley apparatus.

FIG. 4 is a partially sectioned side view of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is an end view of an alternative trolley apparatus.

Building columns carry a bracket 12 to which a pair of track supports 14 and 15 are fixed. Track 17 which is a longitudinally slotted tubular member made from a round cornered square tubing is attached to track support 14 by welding or other suitable means. Track support member 15 comprises a channel attached to bracket 12, the outer flange 18 of the channel acting as a track surface for trolley 20. Trolley 20 includes a vertical plate 21 having reinforcing ribs 22.

Mounted on the trolley are two pairs of horizontal rollers 24 and 25 anda pair of vertical rollers 26 and 27 mounted at opposite ends of the trolley near the horizontal rollers. The trolley also carries a pair of vertical stabilizing rollers 29 and 30 adapted for contact with track 18. Sleeve 32 is fixed to trolley 20, and mast 33 is housed in sleeve 32. Tie rod34 which is threaded at both ends, is fastened to trolley 20 by nut 36 and retains mast 33thereon by a nut 37 and a washer 38. The mast is thus rotatable in sleeve 32. Handle 40 is pivotally attached to mast 33 by bolt 42 which connects the handle 40 to bracket 43 which is fixed to the bottom of mast 33. For extra rigidity and to provide adjustment, an extended turnbuckle 44 is pivotally attached to both mast 33 and handle 40. This allows angular adjustment of the handle relative to the mast 33. A U-shaped bar 50 isattached to the handle 44) to provide a place for attachment of a safety tie-off line (not shown).

In the preferred embodiment of my invention, I provide a latch 52 which will maintain mast 33 in fixed relation to trolley 20 yet provide a means for allowing mast 33 to be rotated into a position whereby the handle 40 will not be in the way of operating personnel when the trolley is not in use. Such latches are well known. This latch 52 comprises a notched plate 53 fixed to mast 33 and a pivotal key 54 which depends from and is pivotally attached to sleeve 32 and is engageable in any of the notches of plate 53.

In operation, a man ties his safety line to U-shaped bar 50, then lifts key 54 from latch plate 53, rotates the handle 40 into the operating position and drops key 54 into the proper notch to retain it in that position. The man then buckles on his safety belt to which the other end of his safety line is attached and steps from open hearth platform 60 (FIG. 2) onto the top surface of mold 62, while grasping handle 40. Adequate clearance is present for a crane cab 64 to pass overhead. As the man moves along the molds 62, track 18 counteracts the horizontal thrust and the moment about the upper track 17. Normally, rollers 26 and 27 form a resisting couple with rollers 29 and 30. However, it is possible that rollers 26 and 27 may themselves form a couple contacting the inside of track I7 on opposite sides. Horizontal rollers 24 and 25 carry the weight of the apparatus and any weight that the man imparts or exerts on the apparatus. Rollers 24 and 25 also resist uplift by one roller contacting the top of track l7 and forming a couple with its opposite horizontal roller.

In my alternative embodiment shown in FIG. 5, an l-beam is fixed to track support 14 with its web 71 vertically oriented to form a track for the trolley 20. The trolley carries two pair of rollers 72 having horizontal axes, which rollers 72 contact the upper surface of flange 73, and a pair of rollers 75 having horizontal axes which rollers 75 contact the lower surface of flange 73. Two pair of vertical rollers 77 are journaled on trolley 20 for contact with web 71 of beam 70. This embodiment will resist twisting moment from eccentric loading, and upward and downward thrust as well as the preferred embodiment of FIGS. 3 and 4, but is more complex and requires more rollers.

It is readily apparent from the foregoing that I have invented a horizontally movable apparatus for arresting the fall of an individual while performing an inspection of ingot molds or other related duties, which apparatus provides a high degree of safety to the individual involved.

3 I claim: 1. Apparatus for arresting the fall of an individual comprising:

a. a support frame;

b. a horizontal track mounted on said frame comprising a tubular member of substantially rectangular cross section having a longitudinal slot centered in its lower face;

c. a side track fixed to said frame parallel to and at a lower elevation than said first named track;

d. a trolley engaging said first named track, bearing against said second named track and horizontally movable along both of said tracks, said trolley including a pair of rollers having a vertical axis and a pair of rollers having a horizontal axis, each of said rollers being engageable with the interior surface of said first named track and a vertically mounted roller at a lower elevation than said first named rollers, engageable with said second named track;

e. a rotatable substantially vertical mast depending from said trolley;

f. a handle fixed to said mast and extending substantially normal to said mast; and

g. means attached to said handle for attachment of a safety line.

. 2. Apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising latch means which determine the operating position of said mast and prevent rotation of said mast.

3. Apparatus for arresting the fall of an individual comprising:

' a. a support frame;

b. a horizontal track mounted on said frame comprising a tubular member of substantially rectangular cross section having a longitudinal slot centered in its lower face;

0. a side track fixed to said frame parallel to and at a lower elevation than said first named track;

d. a trolley engaging said first named track, bearing against said second named track and horizontally movable along both of said tracks, said trolley including a pair of rollers having a vertical axis and a pair of rollers having a horizontal axis, each of said rollers being engageable with the interior surface of said first named track and a vertically mounted roller at a lower elevation than said first named rollers, engageable with said second named track;

e. a substantially vertical mast depending from said trolley;

f. a handle adjustably attached to said mast whereby said handle may be positioned at a desired angle from said mast; and

g. means attached to said handle for attachment of a 

1. Apparatus for arresting the fall of an individUal comprising: a. a support frame; b. a horizontal track mounted on said frame comprising a tubular member of substantially rectangular cross section having a longitudinal slot centered in its lower face; c. a side track fixed to said frame parallel to and at a lower elevation than said first named track; d. a trolley engaging said first named track, bearing against said second named track and horizontally movable along both of said tracks, said trolley including a pair of rollers having a vertical axis and a pair of rollers having a horizontal axis, each of said rollers being engageable with the interior surface of said first named track and a vertically mounted roller at a lower elevation than said first named rollers, engageable with said second named track; e. a rotatable substantially vertical mast depending from said trolley; f. a handle fixed to said mast and extending substantially normal to said mast; and g. means attached to said handle for attachment of a safety line.
 2. Apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising latch means which determine the operating position of said mast and prevent rotation of said mast.
 3. Apparatus for arresting the fall of an individual comprising: a. a support frame; b. a horizontal track mounted on said frame comprising a tubular member of substantially rectangular cross section having a longitudinal slot centered in its lower face; c. a side track fixed to said frame parallel to and at a lower elevation than said first named track; d. a trolley engaging said first named track, bearing against said second named track and horizontally movable along both of said tracks, said trolley including a pair of rollers having a vertical axis and a pair of rollers having a horizontal axis, each of said rollers being engageable with the interior surface of said first named track and a vertically mounted roller at a lower elevation than said first named rollers, engageable with said second named track; e. a substantially vertical mast depending from said trolley; f. a handle adjustably attached to said mast whereby said handle may be positioned at a desired angle from said mast; and g. means attached to said handle for attachment of a safety line. 